November 15th, 2025 1 comment

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

Doctor Who Christmas Specials Twenty Years of Festive Adventures

Available to order from www.candy-jar.co.uk

Unwrapping Two Decades of Doctor Who Christmas Magic

For nearly two decades, the Doctor Who Christmas specials have been a national institution, a beloved part of the festive TV line-up that’s brought families together for a touch of timey-wimey festive magic. But with no Doctor Who Christmas special this year, Candy Jar Books is delivering the next best thing: a full festive feast for fans in Doctor Who Christmas Specials: Twenty Years of Festive Adventures, edited by Baz Greenland.

When Doctor Who returned to screens in 2005 after a sixteen-year absence, it wasn’t just reborn, it was reimagined for a new generation. From the debut of David Tennant in The Christmas Invasion to the emotional farewells of The End of Time and Twice Upon a Time, these stories became must-see television, the BBC’s biggest gift under the tree every December 25th.

Showrunner Russell T Davies once reflected on this challenge, saying: “It wasn’t just a Christmas special; it was a guaranteed slot on Christmas Day itself, at 7pm – literally the heart of the schedule for the entire year. It was like being given the greatest gift in British television you could possibly ask for. So we had to raise the stakes! We had to deliver a great big blockbuster and entertain everyone!”

Doctor Who Christmas Specials: Twenty Years of Festive Adventures explores how these episodes became a cultural phenomenon, and why they mean so much to fans, young and old. Featuring contributions from writers Jonathan Appleton, Kevin Heritage, TD Valesquez, PJ Montgomery, Peter Shaw, Philip Bates, Sean Mason, Tony Black, Matt Dennis, Darren Mooney, Craig McKenzie, Hugh McStay, Tom Dexter, Verity Russell, Joe Glass, and Lee Thacker, this book is the perfect festive gift for fans old and new.

A key ingredient in creating any unforgettable Doctor Who story is the director, and this book offers rare insights from some of the most talented filmmakers to ever work on the show. Baz and Ben spoke to four directors who have each helmed different Christmas specials – all with their own stories of filming fake snow under summer skies, managing regenerations, and finding the heart of the Doctor’s most festive adventures.

Among them are Paul Wilmshurst, who directed 2014’s Last Christmas, and Douglas MacKinnon, who brought us 2015’s The Husbands of River Song. Both have impressive careers across television, but their Doctor Who work remains particularly memorable. Wilmshurst injected gothic flair into Capaldi’s early years with Kill the Moon and Mummy on the Orient Express before tackling his first Christmas outing, while MacKinnon has the rare distinction of working with three Doctors: David Tennant (The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky), Matt Smith (The Power of Three, Cold War), and Capaldi (Listen, Time Heist, Flatline).

Also featured are Farren Blackburn and Saul Metzstein, the directors behind two of Matt Smith’s festive stories. Blackburn made his Doctor Who debut with The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe in 2011 – a charming, whimsical adventure inspired by classic C.S. Lewis book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, before returning to direct The Rings of Akhaten the following year. Metzstein, meanwhile, was central to Smith’s third series, helming fan-favourites like Dinosaurs on a Spaceship and A Town Called Mercy, before directing The Snowmen and later The The Name of the Doctor, where Smith’s era reached its poignant close. Both spoke warmly about the joy and pressure of bringing Doctor Who to life at Christmas, a time when expectations are sky-high and the nation is watching together.

“It’s fascinating,” says editor Baz Greenland. “You get to see how each director approached the unique demands of a Christmas episode – the tone, the visuals, the emotion. These are people who had to make it feel epic and intimate at the same time, and they did it brilliantly. Writing this with my son Ben, who’s the biggest Doctor Who fan I know, has been a joy from start to finish.”

Ben adds: “I’ve always loved how the Christmas specials get away with more fun and silliness than the regular episodes. Finding out how they were made has been a real treat, and proves why they’re such a beloved part of so many family Christmases.”

From the heartbreak of The End of Time to the warmth of A Christmas Carol and the spectacle of The Runaway Bride, this book celebrates every festive adventure the Doctor has had since 2005. Packed with behind-the-scenes insights, critical reflections, and interviews with the creative minds who made them possible, Doctor Who Christmas Specials: Twenty Years of Festive Adventures is the perfect gift for fans old and new.

Because Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the Doctor.

Doctor Who Christmas Specials: Twenty Years of Festive Adventures can be pre-ordered from
www.candy-jar.co.uk

Categorised under: Books, Reference books